2022 Session Accomplishments - COMPILED BY THE SENATE MAJORITY OFFICE - Oregon State Legislature
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2022 Session Accomplishments COMPILED BY THE SENATE MAJORITY OFFICE
Table of Contents Introduction page 1 Agenda Checklist page 2 Workforce and Economy page 3 Healthy Communities and Caring for Oregonians page 6 Elections, Ethics and Government Accountability page 8 Improving Public Education page 9 Public Safety and Justice page 11 Environment and Wildfire Prevention and Recovery page 13 Affordable Housing and Addressing Homelessness page 16 Budget Actions Summary page 17
2022 Legislative Session
Keeping Oregon on the Path to Stability
For too long, Oregonians have felt hardship on many fronts. The impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic ripple through our communities. Wildfire and drought endanger rural life and
environmental safety across the state. Many of our essential workers, in education, health care and
many other sectors have endured the brunt of the difficulties over the past few years – from
economic instability and inflation to fatigue and loss of morale.
Oregon Senate Democrats entered the 2022 Legislative Session to keep Oregon on the path to
stability, bring relief to our struggling neighbors and ensure that we continue down the road to
recovery. Though times have been hard, Oregonians have continued to join together and support
each other. That’s why we’re through the crisis phase of COVID-19 pandemic and on our way back
to normal.
We delivered on a $400 million package of investments to provide an immediate, coordinated
response to homelessness and expand access to affordable housing. We provided $200 million for
skills training and pathways into well-paying careers in fields like health care and manufacturing.
We directed $100 million towards recruiting and retaining education staff to help schools stay open
for in-person learning five days a week. We sent another $100 million to expand access to
affordable child care and better support Oregon’s child care workforce. We made many critical
investments and passed legislation to extend the benefits of our recovery into every corner of the
state.
Our work is never done. With our accomplishments during the 2022 Legislative Session, we’ve set
the table to continue to work hard towards the 2023 Legislative Session.
1OREGON SENATE DEMOCRATS
2022 SESSION AGENDA CHECKLIST
Oregonians continue to pull together and persevere through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-
19 pandemic. The impacts of this global crisis still ripple throughout our communities, and Oregon Senate
Democrats will show up to address emerging issues and serve our state during the 2022 Session. Building
on our legacy of success, we will work to bring down costs and rebuild a vibrant economy so that all
families and businesses have the opportunity to thrive. We will stand up for students by promoting
accessibility and better outcomes in public education. And we will confront systemic racism, demand justice
and ensure public safety, because everyone deserves to feel safe and to be treated with dignity and respect.
Promote Access, Equity, and Success for Oregon Students in Public Education
✓ Create student environments that are safe and free from outside intimidation (SB 1521)
✓ Take steps to address the educator shortage and its immediate effects on schools (HB 4030)
✓ Update the Oregon Promise to make college more affordable (SB 1522)
Support Healthy Communities and Care for Oregonians
✓ Ensure access to vital health services for individuals and families across the state (HB 4035, SB 1529)
✓ Strengthen community-based services that honor individual choice and improve workforce retention and
morale (HB 4003, SB 1548, SB 1549, SB 1556)
✓ Expand access to affordable, stable, healthy housing for all Oregonians (HB 4037, HB 4123, SB 1536, HB
4064)
Strengthen Workforce Protections and Advance Oregon’s Economy
✓ Remove barriers and increasing access to training, apprenticeships, and good jobs for BIPOC and rural
Oregonians (SB 1545)
✓ Lift up the voices and needs of workers across Oregon to improve economic equity and stability (HB
4157, SB 1579)
✓ Increase access to childcare statewide and supporting working families (HB 4005)
✓ Make transformative investments to support Oregon’s most vulnerable communities and historically
disadvantaged businesses (SB 1579)
Adapt to Climate Change and Encourage Sustainability
✓ Build on Oregon’s landmark bottle bill by increasing recycling opportunities (SB 1520)
✓ Prepare critical energy infrastructure to withstand a severe earthquake (SB 1567)
✓ Strengthen forest health, increasing rural response to wildfires and creating more smoke shelters (SB
1501, SB 1502, SB 1533, SB 1546)
Transform Justice and Advocate for Equal Access to the Courts
✓ Continue our work on police accountability and post-prison supervision reform (SB 1510)
✓ Assist immigrants and refugees in navigating the court system and support services (SB 1543)
✓ Stem the tide of illegal cannabis cultivation devastating rural communities. (SB 1564)
2Workforce and Economy
Senate Bill 1545 – Future Ready Oregon
In 2020, Governor Kate Brown tasked the Racial Justice Council with proposing ways to address
racial, social and economic inequities in the state. The Council's work resulted in the Future Ready
Oregon 2022 proposal, which aims to assist with a shortage of trained workers in the construction,
health care and manufacturing sectors. Senate Bill 1545 creates grant programs to assist
communities of color, women, low-income communities, rural communities, veterans, persons with
disabilities and tribal members.
House Bill 4002 – Farmworker Overtime
Both state and federal law establish a maximum hour requirement of 40 hours per week and
require employers pay one and one-half times the regular rate for all hours worked over 40 hours.
However, agricultural workers were exempt from both the state and federal maximum hour
requirement laws and therefore were not entitled to overtime pay. This inequity was accentuated
by the intense manual labor, extreme heat and chemical exposure that farmworkers often face. HB
4002 remedies this inequity by phasing in overtime limits over several years, starting at 55 hours in
2023 and reaching 40 by 2027. Farmworkers will be entitled to one and half times pay for each
hour beyond these limits. HB 4002 also allocates $55 million in tax credits and $10 million in grants
or loans to help farm owners make this transition.
Senate Bill 1579 – Economic Equity Investment Program
Inadequate income in Oregon is concentrated disproportionately among Black, Indigenous, and
other communities of color. Black households have the highest income inadequacy rate of all
racial/ethnic groups in Oregon, at approximately 48%. This is followed closely by Latino households
(41%) and then American Indians (30%) as compared to only 24% of white households. These
discrepancies are reinforced by institutional racism that has manifested as exclusionary zoning,
disparate access to credit, employment discrimination and more. SB 1579 seeks to mitigate the
impacts of these inequities by helping BIPOC and other disadvantaged Oregonians in accessing
grants. It creates the Economic Equity Investment Program and appropriates $15 million for this
purpose. The program shall allocate grants to culturally responsive organizations in order to
support economic stability, self-sufficiency, wealth building and economic equity among
disadvantaged individuals, families, business and communities.
House Bill 4015 – Increasing Loan Amount Access for Small Businesses
House Bill 4015 permanently increases the maximum loan amount to $1 million and the cap on
annual revenue to $1.5 million for Oregon small businesses and start-ups through the
Entrepreneurial Development Loan Fund. The fund is housed in Business Oregon.
3Senate Bill 1565 – Right to Use Cash
Vulnerable Oregonians such as those experiencing houselessness often do not have access to
credit and debit cards. At the same time, the average American's use of cash has been on a steady
decline, which has led to businesses exclusively accepting non-cash payments. SB 1565 makes it
unlawful for a public accommodating business to refuse to accept legal U.S. tender, including cash
and coins.
Senate Bill 1513 – Protecting Bakery Workers from Forced Overtime
Oregon law generally prohibits an employer from requiring an employee at a mill or factory to
work more than 10 hours in a day or 55 hours in a workweek. If the employer processes perishable
products, the employer may claim undue hardship. Oregon's predictive scheduling law also
requires employers with at least 500 employees worldwide in the retail, hospitality and food service
industries to give employees a written work schedule at least two weeks in advance, however it
exempted manufacturing. SB 1513 rectifies loopholes that some bakeries were exploiting to force
workers to work overtime without any notice. The bill prohibits bakery and tortilla manufacturers
from taking adverse employment action against an employee who refuses to work a mandatory
overtime shift without at least five days’ notice.
House Bill 4005 – Child Care Funding
HB 4005 invests $100 million in child care. It makes several changes to increase the workforce and
infrastructure capacity across the state. It also modifies provisions governing the Employment
Related Day Care (ERDC) subsidy program, including establishing a definition of subsidized care
facilities and requiring subsidized care facilities and subject individuals to participate in the central
background registry.
Senate Bill 1586 – Protections from Inappropriate Nondisclosure Agreements
The Legislature passed the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) in 2019. Under the WFA, a private
employer must adopt a written policy outlining their procedures and practices for reducing and
preventing discrimination and sexual assault. The WFA also prohibits employers from entering into
a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) as a condition of employment. It was brought to the attention of
the Legislature that a loophole was being exploited that was effectively continuing the use of NDAs
in inappropriate situations. SB 1586 closes this loophole. The law extends the prohibition regarding
NDAs to cover former employees of private and public employers and clarifies that the prohibition
covers current employees. The measure permits otherwise prohibited NDAs under specified
circumstances and declares prohibited NDAs to be void and unenforceable.
4House Bill 4117 – Tax Filing Assistance for Marginalized Communities
HB 4117 requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish a grant program to provide
funding to culturally specific and responsive organizations in support of outreach and education
related to taxes, and tax filing assistance for low-income residents who may be eligible for tax
credits but are not filing income taxes.
Senate Bill 1564 – Allowing to Limitation on Certain Hemp Licenses
Senate Bill 1564 authorizes a county board of commissioners that has declared a state of
emergency related to cannabis to request the Oregon Department of Agriculture to deny new
hemp grower licenses. The purpose of this is to cut down on cannabis being trafficked into the
black market.
Senate Bill 1505 – Compensation in Collegiate Sports
In 2021, The National College Athletics Association adopted a new policy allowing collegiate
athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness to comply with the relevant U.S. Supreme
Court decision. SB 1505 aligns Oregon with this change. It requires persons that produce
intercollegiate sports team jerseys, video games or trading cards for profit to make royalty
payments to student athletes for use of the student athlete's name, image or likeness.
House Bill 4113 – Worker Compensation for Firefighters with Ovarian Cancer
Oregon worker’s compensation laws establish that certain cancers, including oral and male
reproductive cancers, are presumed to be a compensable occupational disease for non-volunteer
firefighters who have been on the job for at least five years. HB 4113 adds bladder and female
reproductive cancers to this list. An employer can rebut the presumption by providing clear and
convincing medical evidence that cancer was not caused or materially contributed to by the
firefighter’s employment.
House Bill 4157 – $600 Payments to Lower-Income Oregonians
The COVID-19 pandemic put many working Oregonians in a financial crisis. This fact was especially
true for low-income Oregonians, who also tended to have the most direct exposure risk with less
ability to work remotely. HB 4157 seeks to help ease the financial burden on these community
members. It directs the Oregon Department of Revenue to provide a one-time payment of $600 to
lower-income individuals that received the Earned Income Tax Credit in the 2020 tax year and who
worked during the first year of the pandemic.
5Healthy Communities and Caring for Oregonians
House Bill 4035 – Access to Vital Health Services – Oregon Health Plan
The COVID-19 pandemic brought hardship to many in our communities requiring that the State of
Oregon step in and provide health insurance to those who lost a job, were laid off or could not pay
for private insurance. As we transition out of this pandemic, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA)
must go through a redetermination process for every Oregonian on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP).
House Bill 4035 establishes goals for OHA to work through this process while minimizing disruption
on those who currently use the OHP.
Senate Bill 1548 – Choice & Workforce Retention in Community-Based Services
Our Individual Developmental Disabilities system serves over 32,000 adults and children in Oregon.
Senate Bill 1548 will provide transparency, accountability, safety and quality standards for our IDD
community. Senate Bill 1548 sets out rule adoptions to ensure fiscal transparency in services
provided by community-based services and providers who are licensed, certified and endorsed by
the Oregon Department of Human Services. Senate Bill 1548 sets out safety standards for sprinkler
systems in residential training homes or adult foster homes if licensed before July 2024, have five
or fewer individuals, and meet all fire, life and safety requirements established by the Department
of Human Service and Oregon Health Authority. Finally, Senate Bill 1548 creates a third service
option for in-home services allowing individuals with IDD the “agency with choice” to select a
worker that best meets their needs.
Senate Bill 1554 – COVID-19 After-Action Report
COVID-19 revealed the importance and urgency of a modern public health system. Senate Bill 1554
requires the Oregon Health Authority to study our response to COVID-19 by focusing on how we
could better utilize our resources and coordinate emergency management response. This study will
focus on workforce challenges identified and needed investments. A final report with
recommendations will be due in September 2023.
Senate Bill 1556 – Registry of Caregivers
Oregon’s long-term care sector is projected to serve 34,461 Oregonians in the 2021-2023
biennium, and we are currently facing a shortfall of about 6,000 care workers who provide daily
living activities. Senate Bill 1556 creates a phased-in certification for caregivers working in in-home
care and community-based settings. It also creates a publicly accessible certification registry and
builds a foundation for a career ladder to encourage job mobility and advancement for caregivers.
6Senate Bill 1529 – Primary Care Access and Public Health Response
Senate Bill 1529 focuses on two areas of our health care system. The first part focuses on public
health and allows the Oregon Health Department Public Health Director to take action if a
communicable disease, reportable disease, disease outbreak, epidemic, or other condition has
affected more than one county; there's an immediate need for a consistent response; the local
public health system is likely to be overwhelmed; or there is a significant risk to public health. Upon
approval of the Governor or Designee, the Public Health Director will coordinate response across
jurisdictions, identify, assess and control the situation, and allocate and distribute needed supplies
to respond to the public health emergency. This bill provides workers compensation coverage for
volunteer emergency health care providers injured while under the director's authority or engaged
in training conduct and approved for preparing for an emergency. The second part of Senate Bill
1529 requires insurers to provide three primary care or behavioral health care visits annually
without co-pay. It applies to policies or certificates of insurance issued, renewed, or extended on or
after October 1, 2023, for coverage during the 2024 plan year.
House Bill 4003 – Addressing Oregon’s Nursing Workforce Crisis
COVID-19 has exacerbated the nursing workforce shortage already existing in Oregon. With limited
nurse staffing in our clinics, it's becoming almost impossible to meet the basic needs of patients.
House Bill 4003 addresses our nursing workforce shortage by creating a nurse internship license
available to students who are enrolled in and have successfully completed at least one academic
term of nursing school and by establishing a healthcare workforce committee to study, identify,
and describe the challenges in addressing staffing shortages in the nursing field.
House Bill 4095 – Veterans Dental Program
Senate Democrats believe that health care is a basic human right, and that includes oral health
care. House Bill 4095 establishes a Veterans Dental Program to provide oral health care to low-
income veterans in Oregon beginning in 2023.
House Bill 4004 – Expanding Oregon’s Behavioral Health System
In 2021, the Oregon Legislature made transformative investments in our behavioral health system,
yet behavioral health providers are struggling to attract and maintain staff due to inadequate pay
rates. Our behavioral health system will continue to face a workforce crisis without immediate
investments to recruit and retain staff. House Bill 4004 creates a grant program that Oregon Health
Authority (OHA) will administer to distribute grants to behavioral health providers to help increase
staff compensation, retention bonuses, recruit and hire new staff, and provide hiring bonuses. This
bill also allows OHA to contract with nurses and behavioral health professionals to provide care in
adult and children residential behavioral health facilities, opioid treatment programs, withdrawal
management programs and sobering centers to help address staffing shortages.
7Elections, Ethics and Government Accountability
Senate Bill 1527 – Elections Administration
The bill contains many technical fixes to Oregon statute to provide for the efficient and timely
operation and administration of Oregon’s election processes by state and local officials. Senate Bill
1527 also codifies the responsibility of the Secretary of State for election contest recounts as well
as reduces the voter registration thresholds required for minor parties to have nominating access
to the general election ballot.
House Bill 4133 – Online Voter Registration
Since 2010, Oregon has made it easy for citizens with a driver license to register to vote online.
Before the passage of HB 4133, eligible voters who did not possess a driver license did not have
access to this method of online registration. This bill makes it easier for Oregonians who do not
have a driver license to register to vote online.
House Bill 4114 – Economic Disclosure Filing for School Board Members
Most Oregon elected officials are required to annually disclose their economic affiliations to the
Oregon Government Ethics Commission on a form called the ‘Statement of Economic Interest’ or
SEI. Before the passage of HB 4114, local school board members across the state were not required
to submit the form. HB 4114 changes the statute to require school board members to annually
complete and submit the SEI to the Ethics Commission.
House Bill 4144 – Protecting Election Workers from Harassment, Intimidation
During the 2020 election and the certification process that followed, many election workers were
threatened and harassed in Oregon and across the country. HB 4144 gives Oregon’s election
workers more protection by making it a Class A Misdemeanor to harass, threaten or intimidate an
elections administration employee in their official capacity.
8Improving Public Education
Senate Bill 1521 – School District Leadership Stability
Oregon students, teachers, and administration leadership deserve a school environment safe from
outside intimidation. Our schools are experiencing polarization focused on political views instead of
safety for children and staff. Senate Bill 1521 creates employment protections for superintendents
being removed without cause. It limits the ability of the school board to require them to take action
that conflicts with local, state or federal law.
House Bill 4030 – Education Shortage and Solutions to Teacher Challenges
Oregon is grappling with a shortage of educators to work in our public schools. House Bill 4030 will
appropriate $100 million to the Oregon Department of Education to recruit and retain educators,
especially those in high-need specialist positions, while also reimbursing substitute teachers and
instructional assistance for costs associated with training. House Bill 4030 also appropriates almost
$700,000 to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to update background requirements,
establish a statewide portal that provides a single location for job positions and common
background checks, along with updating rules for professional requirements that must be
completed before renewal of license, registration or certifications.
Senate Bill 1522 –Expanding Oregon Promise for College Affordability
Oregon Promise, originally passed in 2015, provides Oregon students the ability to attend
community college in Oregon. In the 2022 session, Senate Bill 1522 went further by expanding the
tuition reduction to distance education courses for undergraduate and graduate students in public
universities and communities colleges and those who have served in the Armed Forces, making
college accessible to all.
House Bill 4031 – Establishing Diversity Goals for Oregon Schools
To promote equality and representation in our schools, House Bill 4031 creates a goal to have the
percentage of diverse employees employed by the Department of Education match the percentage
of diverse students in our public schools.
House Bill 4026 – Wildfire-Impacted School Districts
Extreme weather events have had devastating impacts on the schools in communities hit by
wildfires. House Bill 4026 establishes the School Stabilization Subaccount for Wildfire-impacted
School Districts and adds $25 million to create a grant program. This program provides funding for
schools experiencing a decrease in students due to displacement. These grant programs will help
stabilize our schools through these next few years while we rebuild infrastructure and work to
return to a new normal.
9Senate Bill 1583 – Minimal Summative Assessment Exams
For many years, Oregon schools have emphasized standardized tests to understand how students
are doing, identify gaps and understand where improvement is needed. Senate Bill 1583 directs the
Department of Education to ensure that standardized summative assessments are administered to
a minimum extent while still providing an effective evaluation of academic achievement. This bill
directs the Department of Education to apply for a federal waiver to shorten assessments and use
sampling models or other strategies to assess academic achievements.
House Bill 4124 – Survey and Best Practices for School Assessments
Oregon schools administer a wide range of standardized tests to identify student progress, barriers
and improvements needed. While standardized tests are helpful, we must understand which are the
right types of assessments and when is the best time to administer them. House Bill 4124 creates a
workgroup to administer a survey to gather information about assessments mandated by the state,
federal government, and school districts. This survey will capture who provides these tests, how
much they cost, the purpose, and what data this information provides back to the schools. In
partnership with the Department of Education, this workgroup will develop recommendations and
best practices to ensure mandated academic assessments are used effectively.
10Public Safety and Justice
Senate Bill 1510 – Omnibus Transformative Justice
The Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) is tasked with compiling and analyzing data reported from
police officers regarding perceived racial identities of persons stopped and arrested in Oregon. In
its 2020 report, CJC found both ethnic and racial disparities in traffic and pedestrian stop data
submitted by the Oregon State Police. African Americans were more likely to face arrest and twice
as likely to be searched by Portland police. In cities including Beaverton, Hillsboro and Salem, as
well as the sheriff’s offices in Marion and Washington counties, Latino people received disparate
treatment compared to white motorists or pedestrians. SB 1510 seeks to address these inequities
by limiting unnecessary police stops. It also reforms post-prison supervision and makes justice
equity investments. Under the new law, a police officer may not stop a driver for one minor
equipment fraction that does not cause a hazard e.g. if they have one taillight out on a sunny day.
It also requires a police officer to inform a stopped person of the right to refuse a search and to
document consent should it be given. Regarding parole, SB 1510 makes several changes including
requiring parole officers to receive training in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care as
well as allowing for parolees to report in more convenient ways. This bill also creates the Justice
Reinvestment Equity Program and allocates $10 million to it.
Senate Bill 1584 – Reparations for Wrongful Convictions
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, since 1989 there have been 23 exonerees in
Oregon. Senate Bill 1584 allows a person to recover compensation if convicted of a felony and
imprisoned, and later the conviction is reversed or vacated, or on retrial the person was found not
guilty. Recovery of damages is set at $65,000 per year of imprisonment and not less than $25,000
for each additional year served on parole or post-prison supervision.
Senate Bill 1543 – Universal Representation
Representation by an attorney is the single most outcome determinative factor in deportation
proceedings. Representation by an attorney improves someone’s chances of not being deported by
457 percent. Given this staggering impact, the legislature funded a pilot project in 2019
called Equity Corps. This program has provided pro bono legal services for low-income immigrants
facing deportation in the metro area. As of 2021, Equity Corps has served over 1,300 Oregonians
and had 1,100 active cases. SB 1543 expands this program to offer services to immigrants in need
across the state. SB 1543 allocates $15 million to these services and requires that an organization
receiving a grant must offer legal representation at no-cost. It also stipulates prioritizing legal
services for detained individuals and those at imminent risk of deportation.
11House Bill 4105 – Photo Radar Review by Administrative Agents
The Legislative Assembly passed HB 2621 in 2015, authorizing the City of Portland to implement
fixed photo radar pilot program that created 24-hour monitoring of specific traffic locations. In
2017, the Legislative Assembly extended authority to issue citations for speed limit violations
caught on camera to other cities (HB 2409). HB 2530 passed in 2021, repealing the sunset on the
pilot program that had proven successful in reducing speeding in the targeted locations. Under
these previous laws, only police officers could review the radar photos and issue the subsequent
citations. HB 4105 extends this authority to administrative agents. The goal of this change is to free
up police officers to focus on responding to more immediate threats.
House Bill 4045 – Community Violence Prevention Grants
Community violence has significant impacts on both physical and mental health, ranging from gun
wounds to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. HB 4045 directs the Department of
Administrative Services to provide grants to organizations for community violence prevention and
intervention services. It also directs the agency to coordinate with federal partners to leverage
more funds and support for this issue.
12Environment and Wildfire Prevention and Recovery
Senate Bill 1520 – Wine Can Recycling and Refunds
Oregon’s original “Bottle Bill” was enacted in 1971, and it is the nation's longest-standing beverage
container deposit law. Since its passage, nine other states have enacted similar programs. Oregon’s
Bottle Bill has undergone multiple updates and changes over the past few decades. SB 1520
expands upon this legacy by requiring payment of refund value for wine in cans beginning July 1,
2025. The bill allows wine in cans to be sold and redeemed without the refund value being
indicated on the container until October 1, 2026. It also directs large distributors not participating
in distributor cooperatives to establish a program to provide redemption services comparable to
services such as bottle drops.
Senate Bill 1576 – Mattress Recycling Program
SB 1576 establishes the statewide mattress product stewardship program for the recovery and
recycling of used mattresses. It requires the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to certify a
stewardship organization to implement and administer the program that will be financed by an
assessment at the point of sale. The organization must provide free collection and recycling
services throughout the state.
Senate Bill 1567– Critical Energy Infrastructure Seismic Preparation
According to the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries 2012 Earthquake Risk Study for
Oregon’s Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub, the vast majority of the CEI Hub is located on soil
subject to liquefaction during an earthquake. According to the report, there is a 37 percent chance
that the next Cascadia Subduction Zone event will occur in the next 50 years. Senate Bill 1567
requires the owners or operators of bulk oils and liquid fuels terminals to conduct seismic
vulnerability assessments and implement a seismic risk mitigation implementation plan approved
by the Department of Environmental Quality.
Senate Bill 1501 and Senate Bill 1502 – Historic Forestry Agreement
Senate Bill 1602 (2020 First Special Session) directed the Governor to facilitate mediation sessions
between the forest industry and environmental interests on changes to the Oregon Forest Practices
Act. The purpose of the mediation sessions was to recommend substantive and procedural changes
to the Oregon Forest Practices Act and the table included many stakeholders representing
environmental and timber interests. SB 1501 directs the Oregon Board of Forestry to adopt the
consensus environmental protection rules recommended by the workgroup, representing a
historical consensus agreement in what has been a fraught topic for decades. SB 1502 is the
companion bill that creates a tax credit for small forestland owners who elect to harvest timber in a
riparian area and who also abides by the standard practices.
13Senate Bill 1533 – Grants for Tribe Smoke Filtration Systems
SB 1533 builds upon the historic wildfire bill the Legislature passed in 2021. It clarifies that tribes
may participate in the grant program that funds cleaner air spaces and smoke filtration systems.
Senate Bill 1546 – Elliott State Research Forest
The Elliott State Forest is a 91,000-acre forest located in the central Oregon Coast Range. It was
established in 1930 as Oregon's first state forest and is overseen by the State Land Board and
managed by the Department of State Lands (DSL) as a Common School Fund land asset. In 2017,
after contemplating the sale of the Elliott State Forest, the State Land Board voted to keep the
Elliott State Forest in public ownership. The State Land Board directed DSL to achieve the Board's
vision for the Elliott, which included keeping it publicly owned and decoupling it from the Common
School Fund, while making sure the fund is compensated. The department convened a series of
workgroups instructed with creating a solution. SB 1546 is the product of that workgroup. The bill
establishes the Elliott State Research Forest, creates a board for oversight and decouples it from
school funding. Oregon State University will manage the research forest.
House Bill 4057 – Sprinkler Water-Use Efficiency Standards
According to the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, improving irrigation methods and
systems by requiring that sprinkler bodies have internal pressure regulation could reduce
landscape irrigation water usage by approximately 18 percent. HB 4057 establishes minimum
energy efficiency standards for spray sprinkler bodies manufactured on or after January 1, 2023. It
also requires spray sprinkler bodies to include an integral pressure regulator.
Senate Bill 1519 – Community Solar Property Tax Exemption
SB 1519 is another step in Oregon’s transition to clean energy. It provides community solar projects
a partial property tax exemption from personal property tax so long as it is owned by residential
customers or leased by residential subscribers. The goal is to incentivize more development of
these projects.
Senate Bill 1518 – Resilient Efficient Buildings Task Force
Senate Bill 1518 creates a 27-member task force on “Resilient, Efficient Buildings” to evaluate
policies related to decarbonization for new and existing buildings in order for the state to meet
greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. The task force must submit a report to the Oregon
Legislative Assembly for recommendations on legislation, policy and budget changes.
14Senate Bill 1536 – Heat and Cooling Assistance
The 2021 heat dome was the second-deadliest disaster in Oregon history and killed over 100
Oregonians. Many communities are still ill-equipped to deal with extreme cold, heat or poor air
quality. Senate Bill 1536 creates unit cooling requirements for new building permits issued on or
after April 1, 2024. The law establishes a grant program for emergency shelters that will provide
clean air, warming, or cooling needs. Under SB 1536, the Air Conditioner and Air Filter Deployment
Program will secure and distribute air conditioners on an emergency basis to vulnerable
Oregonians. It also creates the Heat Pump Deployment Program to provide financial assistance for
the purchase and installation of heat pumps. The Healthy Homes Program is also established to
provide heat reflection and electrical safety updates for residents.
15Affordable Housing and Addressing Homelessness
House Bill 4123 – Coordinated Homelessness Response
House Bill 4123 allocates $8 million to build a coordinated homeless response system, to create a
coordinated homeless response office, an advisory board, and to establish a centralized point of
contact. Within one year, the advisory board will adopt a five-year strategic plan that identifies
goals to address funding for ongoing operations of this system, how to increase or streamline
resources and services, incorporate national best practices for ending homelessness, eliminate
racial disparities, and create pathways to permanent and supportive housing. These eight
coordinated systems will provide a report no later than November 15, 2023, and September 5,
2024, back to the Housing and Community Services Department.
House Bill 4064 – Wildfire Recovery Manufactured Housing
Wildfires have caused devastation in communities across Oregon, dislocating thousands of
Oregonians and wiping out manufactured parks in many areas. House Bill 4064 creates the
Manufactured Dwelling Replacement Program, providing home loans to those replacing dwellings
in areas destroyed by natural disasters or buying manufactured homes or prefabricated structures
in other communities not affected by wildfires. House Bill 4064 expands and clarifies changes from
legislation passed in 2021 to clarify that zoning laws apply to manufactured and prefabricated
homes the same as single-family dwellings. It clarifies where manufactured and prefabricated
homes can be placed and removes placement standards.
House Bill 4037 – Expand Access to Affordable Housing for Oregonians
Communities across Oregon lack appropriate housing and shelter locations for our houseless
community. House Bill 4037 requires the Oregon Department of Administration to begin leasing
underutilized property to the City of Salem for use as transitional housing accommodations.
Senate Bill 1536 – Heat and Cooling Assistance
The 2021 heat dome was the second-deadliest disaster in Oregon history and killed over 100
Oregonians. Many communities are still ill-equipped to deal with extreme cold, heat, or poor air
quality. Senate Bill 1536 creates unit cooling requirements for new building permits issued on or
after April 1, 2024. The law establishes a grant program for emergency shelters that will provide
clean air, warming, or cooling needs. Under SB 1536, the Air Conditioner and Air Filter Deployment
Program will secure and distribute air conditioners on an emergency basis to vulnerable
Oregonians. It also creates the Heat Pump Deployment Program to provide financial assistance for
the purchase and installation of heat pumps. The Healthy Homes Program is also established to
provide heat reflection and electrical safety updates for residents.
16A Budget for Recovery and Opportunity for Oregonians
$400 million for housing and homelessness
Addressing Homelessness
• $80 million Homeless Prevention and Response
• $25 million - Regional Homelessness Response Pilot Programs
• $50 million - Project Turnkey 2
• $8 million - Coordinated regional homelessness response
Building and Preserving Affordable Housing
• $65 million for affordable housing preservation
• $55 million for investing in building new affordable homes
• $50 million for affordable housing construction projects in the pipeline
• $35 million manufactured housing parks acquisition
• $10 million land acquisition for affordable housing
Supporting Homeownership
• $15 million for Homeowner Assistance Program
• $5 million down payment assistance
$300 million for education
• $150 million for Summer Learning and Enrichment Programs
• $100 million Education Workforce investment
• Additional Resources for Wildfire-Impacted School Districts
$300 million for Health Care and Behavioral Health
• $45 million to Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) for
health care workforce (tuition assistance, loan repayment)
• Behavioral Health (HB 4004)
• Supporting Nurses (HB 4003)
17$200 million for Future Ready Oregon workforce training
• Workforce Readiness Grants
• Career Pathways for Manufacturing, Health Care, Construction
• Prosperity 10,000
$300 million Cost of Living Relief Package
• $100 million for Child Care assistance
• $600 payments to 240,000 lower-wage workers to cover essential
needs
• Earned Income Tax Credit education and outreach (HB 4117)
$100 million climate resilience budget
• $20 million Helping Oregonians Install Air Conditioning Heat Pumps
(SB 1536)
• $25 million for Drought Relief and Resilience programs
• $5 million Improving Home Energy Efficiency
• $12 million for Solar Energy
• $15 million for Electric Vehicle incentives
• $5 million for Oregon Agricultural Heritage Fund
$100 million for Rural Oregon infrastructure investments
• Various infrastructure and economic development projects across the
state
18Investments in Oregon Communities
• $242 million for Oregon State Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance and
Sustainability
• $121 million to Common School Fund for Elliott State Research Forest
transition
• $120 million to move Tubman Middle School in North Portland
• $65 million Oregon Worker Relief Fund
• $15 million for North Portland Aquatic Center
• $15 million to Port of Coos Bay for channel modification project
• $9.5 million to Central Oregon’s CORE 3 resilience program
• $7.5 million for Lane County Fairgrounds Multi-Use Facility
• $7 million for Improving Habitat Connectivity for Wildlife
• $6 million to Eugene Civic Alliance Civic Park
• $5 million to Roseburg’s Southern Oregon Medical Workforce Center
• $3 million to City of Milton-Freewater for Police and Dispatch Station
• $3 million for McKenzie River Discovery Center
• $3 million to Strategic Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR)
for Newberg Workforce Housing
• $1.9 million to City of Salem for Navigation Center
• Many more community investments below $1.5 million
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